If Lucas gets injured, what next for Liverpool?

Liverpool still appear to be no closer to finding a solution should Lucas get injured again.

Lucas is a player who took a while to convince the Liverpool faithful he could be a cornerstone of the side, but in the present day he is very much just that.

The defensive midfielder is crucial to Liverpool's success and has been for several seasons now. When he suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury the club attempted to replace him with several makeshift alternatives - none of which worked.

Almost two years on, are the club any closer to having an alternative in place should the unthinkable happen again?

Joe Allen was bought for £15 million last summer, and while he now finds himself a divisive figure among fans - one thing he is not is a defensive midfield player in the Lucas mould.

The club were linked with signing Serie B footballer Jorghino earlier this summer from Hellas Verona, but that did not come to fruition, and no real defensive midfield targets have been linked since.

Lucas showed at the weekend just how crucial he is to the Liverpool cause in their 1-0 win at home to Stoke City.

He won more tackles than any other player on the pitch (6), with the exception of the excellent Coutinho who matched him, while his two interceptions were also more than any other Liverpool player.

Come the end of the season it will be a surprise if he is not in the top five in the Premier League as a whole in either of those categories.

Had he been forced off with an injury however, Liverpool's options on the bench consisted of solely Joe Allen who could have replaced him, while the job is not one Jordan Henderson has given any indication he would be adept in either.

A possible alternative to Lucas is England under-20 international Conor Coady, a star in Liverpool's academy who played against Anzhi Machachkala in the Champions League last season.

Any new arrival should not stunt his progress, but if Lucas was to suddenly get injured for the season, would it be fair on Coady at this stage of his career to expect him to step into the Brazilian's esteemed shoes?

With Liverpool looking at wingers, and possibly a new defender or a striker as they look to bolster in the transfer market before the window closes, a second look at bringing in a deputy for Lucas may just be a wise move.

Do Liverpool need to sign a back-up for Lucas? Or are you confident Joe Allen can perform that role?

Dan Coombs

Dan Coombs is a writer who is keen to embrace the internet revolution. He first started writing for us in June 2011 and commenced his new role as Sports Editor in February 2012.
As a trained journalist he has met famous faces from Mr T to Boris Johnson. He once featured in an England World Cup music video too, but it did not make the charts.
He grew up wanting to be a Formula 1 driver, but it looks like this dream has passed him by. Instead, he hopes you enjoy reading his writing on our site, as we seek to debate the day's sporting hot topics.